The 40-year-old Brazilian midfielder took one touch with her chest before slashing a shot with her left foot from the middle of the box in the 83rd minute
The shot spun off the turf and proved to be too much for Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. The German got a glove to the ball but could not prevent it from nestling in the bottom corner. Zanotti spun away to celebrate in the corner before being mobbed by her teammates.
“It was a dream come true,” Zanotti told the media in the post-match press conference. “It’s the most important goal of my career and for Corinthians. We did not leave any open spaces. We helped each other all the time. We were dedicated. We were Corinthians.”
After a couple of early chances were missed by Corinthians, Gotham grew into the game and began to control proceedings. However, despite 66 percent possession and 21 shots, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) champions struggled to turn their advantages into clear-cut chances. Gotham tested Corinthians goalkeeper Leticia just twice.
“The team did really well in every aspect apart from scoring goals. I think we dominated,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amoros said.
Both teams were playing their first match of 2026 without a full preseason. As time wore on, the energy levels began to drain.
“We’re about three weeks in, if that. Of course, that can play a part, but I don’t think Corinthians have had many games either,” said Gotham defender Jess Carter. “None of us are sharp – both physically or decision making or clinical in the final third is what we’d be if we were in full flow. We had enough opportunities today to not use that as an excuse.”
Amoros said that forward Gabi Portilho, who played for Corinthians between 2020 and 2024, was subbed out at halftime as an injury preaction. Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle left the match with a head injury in second half stoppage time. The club later announced she had “concussion-like symptoms.”
Corinthians head coach Lucas Piccinato delighted in his team’s performance and was also proud to prove people wrong.
“Nobody wins before the game. Everyone’s talking about maybe Gotham and Arsenal in the final. Corinthians are here, we’ll play the best game of our life to try and beat Arsenal. We played a great game to beat an NWSL champion. It was a very cool moment.”
In Wednesday’s other semifinal at the Gtech Community Stadium, Arsenal booked their spot in Sunday’s final by thrashing ASFAR 6-0. The Gunners scored three goals in the opening 22 minutes to put the game beyond doubt almost before it had truly got underway.
Forward Stina Blackstenius scored in the eighth minute, prodding in a header sent back across the face of goal by Laia Codina. Frida Maanum then made it 2-0 in the 12th minute with an emphatic strike from close range. Ten minutes later, Mariona Caldentey got Arsenal’s third from the penalty spot after the VAR flagged for a handball in the box.
Olivia Smith, in her first game back since being sent off in Arsenal’s Women’s League Cup semifinal defeat to Manchester United, scored the pick of the goals in the 41st minute. After a slick exchange with Vitoria Pelova, the 20-year-old Canadian winger drove at the ASFAR backline and drilled a low shot past Khadija Er-Rmichi.
The biggest celebrations from the Arsenal fans came when England international Alessia Russo was introduced off the bench at the hour mark. The 26-year-old forward duly repaid the adoration, bagging a brace for Arsenal’s fifth and sixth goals within 16 minutes of entering the match.
The greatly out-matched CAF Women’s Champions League champions from Morocco did their best to limit the damage. On a night of clinical finishing for Arsenal, the London club had 65 percent possession and outshot ASFAR 17-3.
Arsenal will host Corinthians in the Women’s Champions Cup final at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 1. Gotham and ASFAR will face off in the third-place playoff on the same day at 9:35 am ET at the same stadium.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Arsenal, Gotham FC, NWSL, Women's Soccer
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